We're coming home!

We'll be checking out of the hotel in about 30 minutes to start our long journey home.  Wednesday morning we were greeted with actual rain.  Lots of big fat drops and it was predicted to rain for most of the day.  Half of the team decided to head to a mall where they could use wi-fi and get some work done and the other half decided to brave the elements and try some sight seeing.  Bryan, Mickie, and Tammy set out for The Heritage Museum which was up in a part of town we hadn't visited yet.  A few transfers on the MTR and we were there.  Out this way in the less touristy areas, there were fewer non-asians and English was not spoken very well by many people.  After an unsatisfying lunch at McDonald's we hit the museum.  This was a cultural museum dedicated to the arts rather than a history museum.  There were some historical items and they did have a pottery and ironworks section that had pieces that dated back to BC time.  There was a special event focusing on creative fashion design and we got to peruse some very interesting articles of clothing.  There was also an area devoted to the Chinese Opera.  After a couple hours, we decided to check out the
Kowloon Walled City.  The weather was not too bad.  Windy and a few spits of rain, but not a downpour.  This was a good thing as we ended up walking there.  The walled city is now a park that is very serene and pretty.  It originally was a tiny military post that was then occupied by poor people who built buildings on almost every square inch and when there was no more space, starting adding vertically.  There was one original structure still in place and it was the main garrison house from the military post.  It now housed some photographs and historical writings.  When we were finished with the park, we took a short walking tour of this part of the city.  There were several schools in the area and there were youth in their different school uniforms walking everywhere.  It was neat to tour a place well outside the normal tourist spots of Hong Kong and Kowloon.  After 8 hours of touring fun, we decided to head back to the hotel to figure out dinner and to rest our sore feet.  However, there really was not any rest for the weary as we only took about 30 minutes to rest before walking over to a mall to find dinner, and then walking around a few different streets looking for souveniers.  All of the walking isn't a bad thing.  We probably still have a few Chapati's to work off and we are going to be on planes for a combined time of 14 to 15 hours.  Won't be much opportunity to be walking then.

This trip has been a great opportunity and an awesome adventure.  We sincerely thank all of you for your continual prayers for all aspects of our journey along the way.  We have kept you all close in our hearts and thougths and we are eagerly anticipating seeing you all soon.

Chalo!

More photos are posted on Smugmug

There are a some more from our time in Mumbai prior to heading to Latur, and there are ones from our time in Latur with the Anukamp boys, VBS, and some of the adventures from our evenings.    There are a couple of different galleries to keep things semi-organized.  Enjoy!

Hong Kong, Part 2

The flight to Hong Kong (Monday 1:30am) was smooth and uneventful, but not quite long enough ;o)  It was only just over 5 hours which wasn’t enough time to get good sleep.  We landed at about 9:45am local HK time.  Hong Kong is about 3 hours ahead of India so we lost a bit of time.  By the time we got through customs, picked up our luggage, and hopped the bus to the hotel, it was almost noon.  The hotel said our rooms wouldn’t be ready until 2pm so we decided to hit the Hard Rock Café for lunch.  The restaurant wasn’t very close to the hotel so we had to ride the MTR and walk around a bit before finding it down a not-so-main road.  We made it back to the hotel close to 3pm, but only one room was ready  :o(  While we waited, we sat down and exhaustion overtook us.  Didn’t matter that we were in the lobby of a nice hotel, our eyelids just would not stay open.  Once we all had our rooms, we decided to meet at 7:30pm to shop at the local night market and then find some dinner.  The night market is very similar to the street fair like at Aquafest or the Strawberry Festival.  Lots of booths with all sorts of trinkets and treasures to buy.  The main difference is that everything is “over-priced” and they want you to bargain with them.  Since we were planning a trip out to the Stanley Market the next day, we more or less just window-shopped and got an idea of what prices were.  For dinner, we decided on KFC.  They served mashed potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob, and that is about where the menu similarities to American restaurants ended.   Toto – I don’t think we are in Kentucky anymore!   :o)  It was interesting to see the different takes on menu items for American fast food places, both in India and Hong Kong.  After dinner, it was time to lie down and give our bodies a chance to rest for more than just a couple hours. 

Tuesday morning, we were greeted with clouds, a bit of intermittent drizzle and rain showers forecasted for most of the day.  Thankfully, much of Stanley Market is covered and the rain would have minimal impact.  We took a double decker bus to the market and it was about an hour’s ride out of town.  It was a beautiful ride.  This is on the outside edge of one of the peninsulas and there were some sandy beaches  and a few marinas.  There were also a few of the coastline islands and they made a pretty scene shrouded in the low-lying, misting rain clouds.  Stanley Market is also full of booths similar to street fairs and had many of the same wares as the night market.  Many booths had the same things so it was like a mini treasure hunt finding which one would give you the best price.  The rain started to fall pretty heavily but for the most part, you could stay relatively dry.  After a couple hours, we decided it was time to head back to the city.  Another couple hours to rest and freshen up, and it was time for dinner.  We went to the Spaghetti House and had a really lovely meal.  Bryan gets the bravery award for stepping outside his comfort zone and ordering the Squid Ink Risotto with Seafood.  He said it was interesting and not bad.  I like Risotto but I am used to it being white, not bluish-black.  Over the course of the meal, we discussed the trip.  We all shared several items that stood out for us, whether it was culturally or spiritually related.  It was a good discussion and demonstrated how individual our experiences are even though we are on the same trip.  God made us all unique, so we are all different, and He loves us just as we are.  We spent 17 days in fellowship with, loving on, and ministering to people in a far-away land where everything was different – weather, language, food, landscape, customs, and accepted behaviors.  What is important to remember is that these are God’s people, too and He loves them just as much as He loves us.  Do you know anybody who is quite different from you? Do you normally hang out with this person, or do you avoid them because they make you uncomfortable?  Our differences are what make life interesting and I encourage you to challenge yourself.  Smile and greet them rather than avoid eye-contact and pretend you didn’t notice them.  Show a little grace, rather than impatience, if they do things differently than how you would do it.  Here is a humbling thought.  Jesus is vastly different from all of us, yet He works on his relationship with us all of the time.  He smiles on us, greets us, and shows an amazing amount of tolerance and patience.  Shouldn’t we honor Him and do the same?

Mumbai Shopping

Saturday shopping in Mumbai at the West Andheri Market.  Many thanks to Caruna, Sharon, and Shubishish for being our tour guides and price negotiators.  They saved us many, many rupees.  It was a hot day but many of the shops were inside or under an awning so it was tolerable.  It was crowded and noisy but we did not let that deter us from the many items we just had to buy.  Lunch was at McDonald's and the menu included such things as a Spicy Paneer Chicken Sandwich and a Chicken Maharaja Mac.  The only non-chicken item was a veggie burger and a Filet-o-fish.  Atfter lunch, we hit some specific booths to ensure that we would be able to find items that we felt were necessary, rather than just perusing.  All in all it was quite the successful trip.  After a quick refresh at the hotel, Pastor E and Matt Whitehead (who had just arrived in Mumbai) went with us to one of the high end malls out near Goreagon.  The malls here all have security gates to pass through, just like at the airport. No X-ray scanners and you get to keep your shoes on, but you do pass through a metal detector and get wanded.  There were some pretty fancy stores in this mall, but due to traffic being so congested, we were really short on time so we hooked up with everybody at the coffee shop and had lattes.  Abishek brought over some of the guys that attended the Youth camp which was quite a fun surprise to get to see them one last time unexpectedly.  We departed the mall and went to Pastor Shirish's home.  There were many visitors at their home and it was a lovely evening.  Joe and Marilyn James from Indianapolis and Alan and Carol Lowne from New York were there.  Joe and Marilyn are originally from the PNW and Alan and Carol are originally from England.  They are on a ministry trip throughout India and are headed to the central and eastern parts of the country.  It was nice to meet them and get to chat for some time.  Ujwala prepared a wonderful dinner and dessert for all of us.  We had deliberately limited our lunchtime food intake and it was a good thing.  There was plenty of delicious food for us to gorge ourselves on.  Our India family has taken such good care of us; accomodating to every need, making their homes our homes, and making sure we didn't have a chance to go home skinnier than when we came.  Too soon the evening had to end, 9:30pm which really is too early according to India standards, but we had to travel back to the hotel which could take a while depending on traffic and some of the team were heading out pretty early for church services.  The last few days have been filled with so many goodbyes.  It is so bittersweet as we are all looking forward to the happy hellos from home.  Such an emotional roller coaster but definitely worth the ride. 

Saree and tie day

Today is the fourth and final day of the youth camp and it has the most formal attire.  Almost all of the women wore Sarees, however, very few of the men wore ties.  To their credit, many of them were in dress shirts.  Sarees are very difficult to put on.  There is a petticoat that must be tied tightly and in the right position on your waist, and a very small, tight blouse.  Over top of that is the yards of fabric that is wrapped and folded in a very specific way around your body.  Mahima came to our rescue and helped us all dress.  Needless to say, the US women strolling into the breakfast area in our flowing attire was quite the conversation starter.  Comments and smiles were abundant.  Cameras were out in full force and people who had already been photographed with us wanted more.  The Indian women and all of the fabrics are quite beautiful and it almost feels like it is prom night. 

The morning session was again given by Pastor Eric with help from some of the US team.  He wanted the youth to hear from those of us who had not be assigned specific teaching sessions.  Some of the questions that they youth had forwarded were very good.  “Why does Jesus love me?” “How do we exercise self-control in our youthful lives?”  “How do we overcome desire and maintain purity?”  Mickie gave a great testimony on her life and how she found Jesus.  It was a great example of the depth of Jesus’ love.  Bryan gave some insight on to why Jesus loves us.  Tammy also attempted to answer the love question and likened it to the love of a parent for their child.  She then discussed the need for the youth to be accountable – to themselves, to others, and to God.  Cathy gave a testimony that was specific to the women on self-esteem and self-worth.  The message was good and I saw several women nodding their heads as Cathy spoke.  It was good for the men to hear and get some insight in to how women think and act that they probably would not get otherwise.  All in all, it was a great session on how to relate all that they have been hearing in to their everyday lives.

Next up was the photo session and an attempt to get everybody in 1 photo.  What a challenge but we think it was successful!  200 teenagers and 20 somethings…brings to mind a phrase about herding cats. ;o)  There were a few minutes for everybody to take their own group photos and what a photographic event it was.  Members of the US team were bombarded with requests for pictures, and at one point, Tammy and Cathy stood in the same pose while men rotated in to the picture.  A quite accurate comment floated from the crowd that we looked like statues.  It was a good time, but very, very hot as we were often in the direct sunlight.  The leaders finally had to put a stop to all of the picture taking or we would have probably still been out there! Never had the word “Chalo” been such a welcome sound.

A thank you ceremony ended the day (and the camp) with the US team, Pastor Samuel, Pastor Pauls, and Sanjay being appreciated for the teaching sessions.  All of the pastors and leaders also got a great big round of applause from the attendees.  The sadness of the the afternoon had officially begun.  It was time to eat lunch, pack up, and start heading out.  Many of the women were in tears and it was obvious that many lives were touched and many new friendships had developed.  This was also the time to say goodbye to Pastor Samuel as we are heading to Mumbai and he is headed back to Latur.  He has been such an awesome presence in the past 10 days that it was quite sad to say goodbye.  He honored and blessed us both with his hospitality, but also with his preaching and fellowship.  What a man of God.

The youths from the Mumbai areas were on the same train so the 3 hour ride was made a bit more enjoyable as we continued in fellowship with them.  The main disappointment was that the ride took place after dark and we did not get to see the countryside between Pune and Mumbai which is reported to be quite pretty and includes stunning views of some valleys.  I guess there is always next time!

With much gladness, we arrived at the Tunga and were greeted with soft beds, plushy pillows, no buggy-friends, and more of the amenities that weary travelers look forward to.  It was time to get some rest because the next day’s plans included a shopping trip at the Andheri market guided by Caruna and Sharon.  Guess those empty bags we were so proud to declare after VBS will get filled up after all!

We have now completed two long weeks fruitfully working for the Lord, first by ministering to the children in Latur, and then by ministering to the youth in Pune who hail from all over Western India.  In the process we have been blessed ourselves and have individually grown in ways that we had not expected.  From the bottom of our hearts, we praise the Father and thank Him for each and every person we have come in to contact with and for the love and friendship that resulted.  What a beautiful gift we have been given.

Traditional Day

Day 3 at the Youth Camp is upon us and it is traditional day.  All of the girls are in Punjabis or Sarees.  Not a T-shirt or jeans to be found among them.  What a beautiful group of God’s princesses!  The boys have traded their T-shirts for nice button down shirts, but several are wearing the traditional long shirts.  There are even a few in Loongi, which is basically an ankle length skirt. They all have ‘cleaned up quite nicely’  The message this morning was encouraging the youth to try to discern God’s will for their lives.  Instead of just being along for the ride, they need to be the navigator and the driver.  Pastor E challenged them to know that God wants them to be in control of their thoughts and their actions.  God has given us many good things, but that Satan can derail us by offering a shortcut to those things.  And when we take that shortcut, we turn God’s gifts into sin.  This is similar to giving a gift of a beautiful plant to someone with the intent of it being a source of beauty and joy for them, only to find out a few months later that it is brown and wilted because they felt they didn’t have the time or energy to simply water it each day.  Or worse, they just completely forgot!  I can only imagine the hurt in God’s heart when we trash the gifts he has given to us. 

At the end of the session, Pastor Samuel lead us in prayer and invited those youth who felt compelled to devote themselves to doing more in the ministry to come forward.  There were about 30 men and 15 women who came forward.  They publicly showed their desire to do more for God, whether it was a plan to enter the seminary, become a leader in some aspect in the church’s back home, or to deliberately share the good news and minister to those in their lives.  It was inspiring to see so many who are willing to take this step, especially the women.  Being a woman in India is not easy, even in these contemporary times. But being an openly Christian woman in India is even more challenging.  However, with God on their side, there is nothing that they can not accomplish for His glory.

Another round of cricket and volleyball were the afternoon activities for the men.  The women were happy to chat in groups, take pictures, and cheer on the games.  After the cricket game, several women did try their hand at batting.  It was an entertaining few moments for all, but the girls “held their own”.  The evening session was given by Pastor Shirish and he talked about evangelism.  We found out that the first Christian missionary came to India in 1885, however, the gospel had been taken to India originally back in biblical times.  In the 2000 years since, Christianity represents only 6.7% of the country’s 1.2 billion people.  If the message is spread at the same rate, the percentage will be about 13% after another 2000 years.  This is unacceptable.  He led an exercise where everybody up front had to go find someone from the crowd to bring up front.  It started with just him.  He went and got 1, and thus there were 2.  Those 2 then each went and got 1, and now there were 4.  This continued until everybody in the audience was up front.  It took 9 turns to get everybody up front.  He then told us that if this exercise were performed 33 times, the number would be 1.2 billion.  He encouraged everybody to reach just 1, and then to encourage that 1 to reach another 1.  One of the interesting things I found during the exercise was the competition to be able to get someone once there were more up front than left in the audience.  I was able to snag a young lady right before someone else grabbed her hand and I exclaimed, “Yea! I got one!”  Two guys gave me high fives as we flowed past them toward the front.  I noticed similar reactions to others who got one, and expressions of “darn” for those who didn’t get there fast enough.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if that was our attitude towards inviting someone to church?  To be able to feel the urgency to get out there quickly and snag one of the lonely.  And what a feeling of satisfaction to know that you got 1?  Do this and you get to high five Jesus on your way to church and He’ll be exclaiming in a joyful voice, “Yes! You got 1!”

#10 holds a significant meaning in the world of soccer.  Pele wore this number and many other great players have also worn this number in honor of him and to let everybody know that they are the best.  On many teams today, you’ll find that players consider it an honor to wear this number.  You may even hear this question being asked.. “Who is your number 10?”  This means they want to know who is your best player.

So let me ask you this? 

Who is your number 1?

And who is the 1 that you want to bring to Him?

Sports Day

Sports Day

Day 2 of the Youth Conference was sports day.   The day began with a high energy worship that had people out of their seats, forming circles in the front and in the aisles just jumping and dancing their hearts out for the Lord.  After several songs and a few minutes before we probably would have collapsed, it was time for the message.  Pastor Eric was the speaker and the message was centered on trust.  Prior to him speaking, Bryan and Tammy performed a skit where the girl has to trust Jesus and fall back in to his arms, and then she is supposed to fall back away from him.  This video was played at Lifepoint earlier this year. Will you still trust Jesus even when it looks like He isn’t there? That was the question presented to the youth.  This is a good question for all of us to reflect upon.  Think back and see if you can remember moments in the past where you either did or didn’t trust Jesus when He seemed to be absent.  What was the result and what did you learn about yourself and your relationship with Jesus? How can you use the past to guide your future?

There was some lunchtime entertainment provided by Cathy and Bryan, but you’ll have to get the details from them.  ;o)   After lunch, there were 3 hours for fun and fellowship within the confines of sports.  Most of the men played Cricket, although several did get a game of volleyball going.  The women played a game called Cocadi (probably spelled wrong but pronounced Co-Ca-Dee)  This is a game of tag between two teams that involves a bit of strategy.  None of the US women joined the game but we watched and learned.  The women also played Red Light – Green Light and Duck, Duck, Goose.  There are similar versions of these two games in India, but they have different names.  The last game the women played was Dog and the Bone.  The US team played this with the Anukamp boys when we were in Latur and is a game that I think would be a favorite back home. 

Soon it was time to freshen up from all the sweating and dust and prepare for the evening sessions.  After a fairly tame worship compared to the morning, it was time for Katherine to speak.  The youth got quite an unexpected surprise, a kind and gentle, but firm reprimand from Katherine regarding the assignments they had been given on the first day.  Only 1 youth (out of almost 200) was able to say that they had completed the assignments.  The youth were being held accountable for the purpose of the retreat and I think it was an eye-opening session for many of them.  These people show sparks of desire to serve the Lord during the worship sessions, they openly pray during prayer times, they respond to the messages, but in these times they are all being lead by someone else.  There is a band selecting the songs and the energy is infectious, one of the pastors is requesting that they pray.  How about when they are not in a session? What are they doing during their free time?  Are they praying of their own accord; are they humming or whistling a tune of worship? Are they reading their bible? Are they working on their assignments given by Pastor E?  Toward the end of the session, Katherine gave them 10 minutes to work on their assignments while the pastors, leaders, and the US team prayed for them.  We asked the Lord for His guidance, to open their hearts to Him, to help them develop their own spark so that when they go home, they are not back to the same old – same old.  We want these youth to be changed individuals who actively seek the Lord on their own time, and then reach out and share what the Lord has for them with others.  Please pray specifically for the youth that are here this week, but also for the youths in your life.  They are in the process of learning to be responsible for actions and choices that have the possibility of significantly altering their lives.  We know God will pour out His wisdom and blessings, but we need these young people to be ready and open to accept it.

3 for the price of 1...

Got to post 3 days worth here.  It has been a busy set of days with still very limited internet service. 

Sunday services at the Latur Ministry Center was very special.  Some of the children from the neighborhoods who attended VBS came to church service for the FIRST time.  How completely exciting! It is quite humbling to see children attempting to come to Jesus as a result of our work.  The India team was honored on-stage with flower necklaces and shawls.  They called some of the Anukamp boys up to place the necklace on us. The shawls were presented by some of the women of the church.  Pastor E's message was centered around following Jesus and each of us had a question to answer regarding some aspect of following Him.  I personally found myself quite nervous to be speaking. I usually do not have a problem and afterwards questioned why this was the case.  I believe it is because somewhere deep inside, I feel like my words need to mean so much more.  Back home, almost everybody in the church is a Christian and they are working on their relationship.  Here, there are people in attendance who are hearing about Jesus for the first or second time, and some who have heard many times but are still trying to decide if Jesus is right for them. I have understood from the start how important this trip is, but for me, that was an A-ha moment where that reality really hit home. 

After church service, we got to meet several parents and siblings of the Anukamp boys.  They were all heading to their homes for a 15 day holiday.  They go home twice a year - two weeks in the fall and two months beginning the middle of May.  It was a bittersweet experience as it was quite sad to know our time with them was over, but they were sooo excited to see their parents and introduce them to us.
Hugs, smiles, and tears were present everywhere.  When there were only a few boys left by late afternoon, we turned to helping Mahima celebrate her 16th birthday.  She is the only girl in her extended family and she got quite the frosting facial from her brothers and cousins.  It was fun to help her celebrate her birthday as though we were part of her family.  Alas, for many it turned out to be an early evening as we all were catching the 6:30am train to Pune. 

As expected, Monday morning came quite early but we managed to get everybody and the myriad of luggage to the train station with plenty of time to spare.  The ride, though long, was interesting for many reasons.  We all met someone or two to chat with.  The gentleman sharing our berth spoke great English and worked for an Indian division of Johnson & Johnson.  He had travelled to the states previously, gave us an idea of a tourist trap for when we return to Hong Kong, and was quite helpful in narrating some of the trip.  The countryside is very similar to Eastern Washington, just much warmer.  We saw lots of deer, which is not hunted here.  We also saw some teepee villages. A little bit of old school India looking out of our windows.  We passed by lots of farmland and farmers tilling their soil using Ox and a plow was quite the common site.  The train stations we stopped at along the way all had many goats milling around.  We finally arrived at Pune station just after 1pm. As per the course when we travel to a new location, the biggest struggle was finding transportation big enough to accomodate both the people and the luggage. A van, a car, and a ricksaw later, we arrived at Union Biblical Seminary (UBS)  This is where the Free Methodist Youth Conference is being held.  Sessions did not begin until the next morning so we were free to settle in our rooms until the pizza came.  Yep - good ol' pizza - however the ingredients were not what I would consider standard american fare.  Kevin made some noises about pizza loaded with every kind of meat known to man which made a few of our vegetarian friends cringe, but now worries.  The pizza we had was plenty delicious.  After dinner, we all strolled the campus grounds.  The sun was setting and the air was slightly warm.  We were up on the highest part of the grounds and watched the sun setting below the trees and the spire of the chapel.  Glorious sights!

Tuesday morning began the first day of the conference. By lunchtime, there were 195 registered participants.  There were more in attendance who had not registered due to late arrival.  It will be interesting to see the total number.  Pastor Eric opened the days speaking and discussed the need for everybody to have a vision.  The theme of the conference is from Daniel 5:27 "You have been weighed on the scales and are found wanting."  Pastor E asked us what we wanted written on our wall.  Certainly it is not what was written on Baltshazaar's wall.  Pastor Paul Pawar centered his message on John 3:16 and how Jesus is our only saviour.  After lunch, there was free time and a time for games.  Not everybody participated in the games, but many did.  A soccer ball was kicked around for a bit (Yes Tammy joined in) and then a lively game of Cricket was started with the men.  The women played several games by themselves such as Throw-Ball, Catch-catch (with and without blindfold), and Ameoba tag.  I don't really know what they called the tag game but we call it Ameoba tag back home.  It was a good way to interact with the youth and let off some steam after sitting all morning.  Bryan was the speaker of choice for the evening message and he centered on creation and the fall from grace.  He was quite interactive with the crowd and had about 20 volunteers up front with him doing silly things.  He ended with a reference to a scene from Slumdog Millionare and how nasty the boy was when he jumped out of the outhouse.  He likened that type of nastiness to us when we are filled with sin and how everybody has the choice to dwell in their stench and filth, or come clean with Jesus.

Darkness has settled upon us as the day draws to a close.  The constant activity and higher temperatures (than in Latur) have drained most of our energy.  Everybody is laying down or settling in to a quiet activity.  We pray that your day is equally productive and if given the chance to share the good news with someone, you will embrace it and pour out His love.  Good night and Amen.

VBS surpassed the century mark at 106!

What an honor to share the good news with so many youngsters.  There were about 10 bags unclaimed so that means during the course of the 4 days, we reached out to at least 116 children.  Today's big hit was story time.  Cathy read the story of the prodigal son while it was being dramatized in the background.  Several volunteers participated in this grand production.  Bryan was the prodigal son and Kevin was the father and they played their parts to the max.  Much laughter from the kids and the adults alike.  Our focus was on forgiveness and that if we do the things that we learned about this week, our sins can be forgiven, even if we mess up from time to time.  The craft was the salvation bracelet and it was a great lead point into the salvation story and having the children invite Jesus in to their hearts.  When asked who would like to do so, over 80 children raised their hands.  With so many kids it was hard to know how many actually repeated the prayer, but we know it was a bunch.  Heavenly father, we praise you for these new souls who want to be a part of your kingdom. We ask for your blessing, guidance, and protection in these youngster's hearts and may they always remember the sweet sound of their voices asking you to be their saviour.  Thank you for all of the children. Amen

Now that VBS is over, we have taken an afternoon of rest and relaxation.  Our bodies are a bit weary from the heat and lack of consistent sleep patterns.  We have also poured our hearts in to serving Jesus and these children and the post-activity letdown is catching up with us all.  However, I think we all agree that what we feel in our weariness is joyfullness, satisfaction, and happiness.  While we are visiting, checking e-mails, updating the blog, etc we can hear the boys in the next room singing worship songs from VBS for the various visitors who have stopped by from the Blazing Youth Revival.  These boys love to sing and worship with such joy that I feel a bit jealous that they have that child's heart for God.  I personally feel blessed that I have been surrounded by these boys and some of the town children to show me the way to having that type of relationship.  While we were tasked with teaching these children about the love of Jesus, I think the members of the team were taught a few things by the children and have learned many other lessons from the rest of our experience so far to date.  Bless others and in the same way you will also be blessed.

We are almost done with day number 13 of the trip which means we are halfway through and have 11 days left.  We have all come so far, but we have so much more ahead of us.  We ask for your prayers of strength and passion, for comfort and healing, and a veil of protection as we set out for travel early Monday morning.  Up next is the youth conference in Pune.  Prayers for the many hundreds of attendees for their safe travels, for an open mind to hear what the Lord has to say to them, and courage for those whom God will choose to take the path to ministry.  We hope to be an inspiration to those that we will get to interact with and pray that we are a visible shining light for Jesus.

Thank you so much those who have been thinking of the team and praying for us and all of India.  You are greatly appreciated and please know that God is hearing your prayers and requests and He is definitely putting them to good use!

Good night and we'll chat again soon!

Numbers 14:7

"They said to all the people of Israel, 'The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land!'"

Not only are we so happy for this wonderful land but we are thankful for the travels and for the numbers of children we have touched so far.  We are praising God tonight for the safe return of Pastor E.  He is finished with his work and travels in the south of India and is back with the team.  He will get to be present for the last day of VBS and we have a special treat just for him that we have been working on.

Day 3 of VBS was another glorious day.  We had 87 kids in attendance today with an estimated 21 that were new. Our theme today was Live for Jesus and we focused on activities that encouraged their children to build their life on the rock.  Katherine talked them through the parable of the two builders and also the story of David and Goliath.  It was a great example of how children can live for God.  He is not just for the adults.  Each child created a cross and decorated it with colors and jewels.  It was a great example of living your life on the rock that the cross represents.  Our game was a no hands relay and we discussed how living for Jesus isn't always easy; sometimes it is hard.  But just like the builders, it is so worth the extra effort needed to build a solid foundation.

The afternoon was rather lazy compared to the previous few.  Several of us sat around with Abishe, Mahima, and her friend Joti.  It was a quiet time of fellowship.  After eating lunch, the outside games were revived by Kevin and Bryan.  The Anukamp boys were having push up contests and were learning "where the beach was"  When we get back, you should ask Kevin and Bryan where it is  ;o)  A spritely game of Cricket ensued and it was highly competitive.  During this time, the women were inside getting some practice putting on Saree's.  The men came in after the Cricket game and several decided to play Uno.  For a couple, it was their first time playing but they quickly caught on.  It was a great time of fellowhip with plenty of laughter and smiles as rivalries developed and the +2's and +4's came out in full force.  As the sun started to set, everybody went outside to play with the boys.  The beach balls from VBS were brought out and several attempts at games finally came around to teaching the boys the good old American schoolyard game of Dodgeball.  It was no surprise that the boys loved playing this game.

Finally it was time to settle down for the evening.  Pastor Eric arrived shortly before 9pm and it was good to see him.  He had traveled many long hours this day to journey back to Latur, 14+ hours.  We are grateful for all the prayers that have been coming our way.  Now it is time to start thinking about bed as we have the final day of VBS awaiting us in the morning.  We are praying that God will work in the hearts of neighbors who know what has been happening, but have yet to allow their children to come, that tomorrow they will wake up with a changed mind.  We would so very much like to have 100 or more children present tomorrow.  Please take a moment to say a prayer praising God for sending those that have come, and requesting that he overflow the worship center tomorrow with eager children.

Good night and God Bless!

Pictures will be delayed on smugmug

They take a very long time to upload here so I will upload all of them when we get back to Mumbai on Monday.  For those of you who are Facebook friends of other team members, you have been seeing several pictures that give a great synopsis of what we have been doing.  Be sure to keep looking there.  For those who do not use Facebook, you'll just have to wait until Monday.  ;o)  It will be worth the wait!

Cheers!

VBS is halfway through...

And these kids know how to worship!  They are all very energetic singers and dancers.  Each morning we started off with Abile, Abishe, and Mahima leading singing in Marathi.  We have learned some really great songs and plan on teaching the lifepoint kids some of them in English.  The first day we had 63 kids and today we had 71.  There were about 11 new ones and 3 or so that didn't come back.  Hopefully we will see them again tomorrow.  Bryan did a great job the first day introducing them to Jesus during story time.  Today, Tammy told them the story of the Woman at the Well and the Good Samaritan.  We want these kids to know that Jesus is for everyone.  He is not just for those with light skin, or the rich, or the adults.  We are pretty sure they got the message.  The crafts have been a big hit and some kids have been completely overcome to realize that these things are theirs to keep when VBS is over.  So far, they have decorated a canvas backpack to carry their items, a bandanna to wear, and a prayer box.  Tomorrow they'll make a cross and the last day will be the salvation bracelet.  We are pretty sure that one will be an especially big hit.

These kids are well behaved.  It takes relatively little to get  their attention after activities, and they are able to sit still for long periods of time with very little fidgeting.  They also return after being sent downstairs to get water.  I am not sure if we have had to really chase anybody down who decided to pursue their own agenda.  All of them are truly a blessing and they make running the VBS for them very easy and very rewarding.  Today each kid wrote down the name or names of people they knew who didn't know Jesus.  We prayed that God would shine His light in their lives and to bring them to Jesus.  Not only did we let the kids know that Jesus was for them, but Jesus is for their friends to and that they can be the ones to introduce them.  I am asking that each of you consider praying for the courage of the children who are willing to take the risk of mentioning Jesus to their friends and families.  Also, please pray for those names written down.  They represent somebody special to these children.  We don't need to know their names because God already does.

The afternoons after VBS have been absolutely fantastic.  Yesterday, we took a trip in to downtown Latur to do some shopping.  We went to the market to look at fabric for Sari's and shirts for the guys.  Tammy bought a punjabi and some bought some jewelry, but Chaya was not happy with the fabric and didn't want us to buy Sari's there.  We went to a Sari shop and were taken to an upstairs room and basically had a private fabric sitting.  The salesmen brought out many, many bolts of fabric and many were very, very pretty.  Each of us kind of had an idea of color that we wanted.  It took about 30 minutes or so, but we all found something that we loved.  The guys were with us as well and were good sports about having to sit through that.  On the way out of town, we stopped at another shop and the guys were able to find some really great shirts.

After dinner, we attended the prayer meeting in the church here at the worship center.  It was a nice time to unwind and destress.  Kevin gave a testimonial reagarding worhsip and encouraging everybody, especially the boys, to find out their special way to communicate with God.

This afternoon we went to a session at the Blazing Youth Revival - Latur.  A band was playing and they really rocked worship.  People were dancing and jumping and just putting their whole body and spirit in to worshiping the Lord.  Even though it is a youth revival, there were toddlers and elderly people in attendance.  The india team eagerly partook in the dancing and were fan favorites out mixed in with the crowd.  After several high octane songs, we were all sweating profusely and ready to hear the message.  Pastor Sheldon gave a great message about how our God is the true God and that stones and iron are nothing.  Our God answers with fire and is the fire.  He also talked about Judas betraying Jesus and how the disciples chose Mattias as a replacement.  He asked everybody to cast out the Judas in their lives and to replace it with something new, just as the disciples replaced Judas with Mattias.

It is now after 7pm and shortly we will leave for dinner at the house of some friends who are Hindu.  Pastor Samuel asked for one (or more) of us to consider offering a testimonial to the gospel.  This family is not new to the idea of Jesus and has hosted a meal with prior Christian visitors.  We pray that maybe this time will be the moment that they have a change of heart and mind. 

Overall - we are having an absolutely fabulous time.  We are warmly welcomed every where we go, there is no shortage of food or tea, and we are having just as much or more fun than the kids during VBS.  Both in Latur and Mumbai, people have opened up their homes to us to host a meal and we feel like we are part of a big extended family.  Many know Pastor Samuel, Chaya, and the boys as the face of the ministry in India, but know that there are soooo many more brothers and sisters in Christ doing the good work of the Lord. 

We hope everybody is waking up to a glorious morning back in the states and that your day will be as full of love and joy as ours has been.

God bless ~

Look out Latur - the team has arrived!

We took the overnight train from Mumbai to Latur.  We had a sleeper car so we all got to sleep through most of the 9 hour trip.  We pulled in to the station as the sun was rising and there were enough low clouds that the corona of the sun was blocked so that we could see the ball of the sun and it's bright orangish-red glow.  Gave our arrival a bit more of an exotic feel.  We went to the hotel to drop off our luggage and to freshen up and then it was off to spend the day at the Latur Ministry Center.  The boys were very excited that we were there and along with Chaya and Pastor Samuel, they gave us quite the warm welcome.  After a few moments of visiting with everybody, a quick tour of the facility and a wonderful breakfast, we found ourselves outside participating in an impromptu Cricket game.  Several of us took turns both bowling and batting.  Pastor Samuel has a wicked underhanded spin delivery.  It was a great way to spend some time being around the boys as an ice-breaker.  We were treated to more yummilicious food for lunch and then had a couple hours rest. When we returned, we asked the boys what they had been doing and they explained that they were playing games.  We asked them to show us games that they like to play and ended up spending the next several hours playing with them in the courtyard.  They taught us a few indian favorites and we taught them a few "american" ones.  There were even a few moments of dancing and singing, with the boys performing for us and Tammy, Cathy and Katherine teaching them the YMCA and the Chicken dance.  They LOVE the chicken dance.  It was as glorious day and we all felt quite at home.  The boys are fun-loving, sweet, quick to smile, and full of energy.  It is a blessing to now be  known as their auntie.

Our second day began the way the first day ended - with a myriad of booms and crackles as the indian people are celebrating Diwali.  The fireworks seemed to stop just for a couple hours in the wee hours of the morning, but were booming away full force again by 4am.  The excitement would continue as this was the first day of VBS - vacation bible school.  Around 9:30am, several children from the neighborhood started to arrive.  More filtered in throughout the first hour and we ended with a total of 63 attendees.  By the grace of God and the blessings of Jesus, the VBS was a smashing success.  We had several volunteers to help with the various tasks and to interpret for us.  Abile and Abishe were the main interpreters, and along with Mahima, provided the singing of the songs in Marathi.  These kids know how to rock action songs.  We taught them "Deep and Wide" in English as well.  Bryan delivered the story today, introducing Jesus.  He gave a synopsis of the creation story and the fall from grace, and then how to recover that special place with God - through a great man named Jesus.  Each day we have a theme that will build upon how Jesus is for everybody and that He wants us to live for Him and that He will forgive us when we fall and can always come home.

As usual, games were organized chaos and the game of Thankful Volleyball was an exact duplicate of how the kids back home at lifepoint play it.  Kids are the same everywhere.  ;o)  After a snack and some rest, the kids decorated their canvas backpacks and several drew crosses or had phrases such as God loves you.  We finished this wonderful time with the children by teaching them "If You're Happy and You Know It"  The kids caught on quickly and yelled Amen with such spirit!  I have it on video and may have to use it as motivation to challenge the lifepoint kids to worship with the same vigor and joy.

We are all very tired, but it is a happy tired, knowing that we were a part of God's great plan and that these children heard about the Good News today, some possibly for the first time.  There were many neighborhood kids who didn't come, but gathered outside the compound gate so we are expecting more to come tomorrow.  All of the kids that attended were encouraged to invite their friends to join in the fun.

Would you be willing to pray for the continued success of the VBS?  Pray that we will have many, many more kids walk through the door in the morning?  And lastly, would you pray for strength, wisdom, and blessings for the team as we continue?

Thank you all very much

PS - be sure to check our smugmug for pictures.  Easier to only post to one site with the limited internet options

For the children:

Foreward:  Internet connectivity is not working that well with my PC in Latur.  Pastor Samuel has allowed us to use his PC and we are very thankful.  This post will not include pictures and the photo sites won't be updated with pics from Monday as they are already downloaded on my PC and not on the camera SD card.  The pictures are quite precious and I will let you know when those become available for viewing.  For today forward, I will be able to download images to the blog and photo sites using Pastor Samuel's computer.

Monday October 24
At breakfast, we said goodbye to Pastor E as he was heading to Southern India.  The rest of the group were going to travel to a different part of Mumbai to some slum daycares.  These are places where children in the slums can go for two hours each day to learn some educational lessons, learn about the love of Jesus, and get a snack.  Many parents in the slums do not send their children to school and thus increase the chance that their children will remain in the same cycle of poverty.  These parents are encouraged by the daycare workers to send their children to school and provide a great headstart.  Hopefull with the lessons and tnd love they receive, they will resist the temptations to engage in bad behaviors such as hurting others and stealing.

As we drove in to the city, we passed areas of wealth and areas of poverty.  Shanty or lean-to houses within sight of skyscrapers and buildings that house the financial industry.  After about an hour of hot, cramped traveling, we turned on to a side road lined with falling down booths, trash, old cars, and debris.  Our destination was not one of these booths, but instead a small cramped room down a narrow passageway.  Inside this dark room were about 20 small children who were both awed and excited to see us.  They sang us several songs and then we got to interact with them for just a few short minutes.  They wanted to touch us and they wanted our attention, but the big delight was when the cameras came out.  They loved seeing themselves on the digital camera display.  Their faces were so sweet and their smiles were so bright, it made your heart hurt to think of the way in which they had to live.  Quite sobering to realize that the best part of their day was 2 hours in a hot, dark, very cramped room with a nasty, unclean floor.

Less than 10 minutes and were off to the next daycare.  This one was also down a side road, but there were more structural buildings in the area and the entrance was down an alleyway that was triple the size of the previous one.  There were again about 20 children, but this room was larger, bright, and airy.  They sang songs and a few stood up to recite the alphabet or count in English.  The time for them to leave came while we were there and several parents came to retrieve their kids.  Many milled about the area waiting to see us as we left.  The emotions running through each of us at these daycares were quite mixed.  It was sad and heart-breaking to think of the living conditions and lack of opportunity afforded them.  Their bright faces and huge smiles made us smile and wiggled a spot of warmness into our souls.  Sometimes it is easy to ask the question "How do they live this way and still show joy?"  First, we must caution ourselves that we are trying to put ourselves in their situation and then compare the comforts and privilege of our daily life.  These children do not know of such things so they do not pity themselves like we would pity ourselves should we end up in that scenario.  We all know someone, maybe it is even one of us, who has fallen on hard times and complains to Jesus about difficult things are and question why God would allow that to happen.  Seeing these children is a great reminder that we need to have a

How was your day? Ours was pretty awesome....

We have only been in India one full day, and I have a major concern.  I have yet to find any food that I dislike.  I am probably going to gain 10 pounds on this trip!  All kidding aside, the first day in India was full of the presence of the Lord.  It brings to mind the scripture regarding the Great Commission.  We are here to further the kingdom of God in India in a couple ways.  The VBS in Latur will expose many children, some possibly for the first time, to the love of Jesus.  At the youth conference, we will be there to bless and inspire youth who are interested in ministry.  However, our Indian friends have beaten us to the punch so to say and have been teaching us about Jesus’ love.  We may be the ones who have gone to other nations, but so far, our Indian friends have been discipling to us.  Won’t you take a moment and read Matthew 28:16?

After breakfast, Pastor E, Cathy, and I set out for the Marathi service at Andheri  church.  This was my first chance to see a part of Mumbai during the daytime.  The route to the church was not far, but we passed booths on the side of the road with vendors hawking their wares, lots of motor and foot traffic, and many signs of the impoverished population.  The roads have very uneven construction and are full of potholes.  There are also scattered mounds of concrete and debris, sometimes pretty far out into the road from the buildings that have, or are in the process o,f being demolished (or have fallen down)  As we went under an overpass, Pastor E pointed out that the numerous people grouped under there call that spot home.  There were clothes and blankets and a myriad of possessions, but nothing that I could see that I would call a shelter.  There were adults milling about, an elderly woman sitting on a blanket, and several children.  A few were chasing after each other in a circle and they had the biggest smiles on their faces as they played. 

When we arrived at the church, Bryan was just finishing his talk at the English service with Pastor Shirish. 
Bryan gave us a quick wave as he passed by to join the receiving line and then he was off to head to the other church service that he was preaching at.  The service we attended was very similar to our services with worship being the first item on the agenda.  While I was unable to understand the songs, it was quite easy to get in the groove and clap and move to the beat of the music.  A boy of about 6 was in front of us across the aisle and he sang along,  clapped his hands, and really got into every song.  After singing and some prayers, people from the congregation could come forward and provide a testimonial.  Several people, including a few youth, came up to provide their story of the Lord’s work in their life.  After this time, the youth were dismissed to head to their Sunday school.  The 3 of us were invited up to the stage and we were officially introduced to the congregation.  We got to say a few words in greeting, which were translated, and received some flowers.  We had been sitting about halfway to the stage, so it was surprising to see from the stage how many people were in attendance.  If I had to guess, I would say about 105.  Cathy and I left the stage, and Pastor E began his sermon.  Sanjay translated for him and they got into a good rhythm as Pastor E discussed what it means to be Not a Fan.  Everybody was engaged in the sermon.  As points were made, we could see heads in front of us nodding and heard murmurs of praise behind us.  Just like at Lifepoint, some were very quiet studious participants and some were quite animated.  After the sermon, prayers and offering completed the service.  We joined a receiving line and shook hands and said a greeting to {almost} everyone in attendance.  Several people who know Pastor E came over to spend a few more moments in fellowship and to be introduced to Cathy and I.

Back at the hotel, we met up with the rest of the group (minus Bryan) for lunch and to discuss the morning.  Katherine’s service happened to be hosting their monthly youth service and also had a birthday celebration.  Their service had many, many songs of worship and Kevin, Katherine and Mickie sang two songs for them in English.  Talk about Mickie getting out of her comfort zone!  Katherine preached on the love of Jesus and how even though we live in different parts of the world, we all stand as one in Jesus’ love. 

After lunch, everybody retired to their rooms for a couple hours of rest.  We were headed to Pastor Moses’ house for dinner and fellowship at 7pm.  Many of us took naps as India is similar to other warm climates in that they eat dinner pretty late at night.  Our transportation were auto-ricksaws, which look like little cars from an amusement park ride on top of a motorcycle engine.  The driver sits in front and steers using handlebars.  There is one wheel  at the front and two wheels at the back.  No doors or belts to hold you in. They don’t seem like they would  hold up all that well in a collision, but they are small and agile.  While vehicles have blinkers, most do not use them and instead honk their horns to let people know they are coming up behind or beside them, or to let someone know that they intend to cut them off when traffic starts moving again.  Pastor Moses accurately described the rules of the road as “there are no rules”  I am surprised that there are not more accidents and that the vehicles are not more dented than they are, but I guess it works if everybody is watching out for themselves.

We spent time with Pastor Moses, his wife Rajka, his son Joshua, and his daughter, Aratna.  Rajka’s younger sister, Sunjata, also came home from her nursing job at around 9pm.  We took some time answering each other’s questions about families and jobs, as well as learning a bit about the Indian lifestyle.  Dinner was rice, Chapatie, Chicken Curry, and dal.  Chapatie is very similar to a tortilla and Rajka let me watch how they were made.  Everything was very delicious and had just a small kick.  They thoughtfully made the food less spicy than they would normally.  After dinner, we were given sweet Chai and it was yummy as well.  As it came time to leave, we gathered around and Moses prayed about each and every one of us individually.  He asked for blessings for our families, for our travels, and for the VBS in Latur.  His words were heartfelt and we were all moved with the presence of Jesus.  It is an honor to be around so many Christians who truly believe in and trust in the power of Jesus in their lives.  We heard stories of persecution that some have endured in fairly recent times, but they still trust in Jesus to lead their lives.  Truly an inspiration.

Many in the lifepoint family have already heard, but Cathy and Mickie took to the streets of Mumbai on the back of a motorcycle!  Not really by choice, but it happened just the same.  There were not many auto-ricksaws for rent near Pastor Moses’ house, so Joshua was sent to hail some from the main road.  Kevin, Katherine, and I got in one and off we went.  We got back to the hotel and waited for several long minutes for Cathy and Mickie to arrive.  As the minutes ticked by, we had to fight off that small niggling feeling that something wasn’t quite right.  We kept our eyes on every oncoming ricksaw expecting to see them at any moment.  When Pastor Moses pulled up on his motorcycle, it took a few seconds to realize that it was him and that his rider was Cathy.  They explained that they were unable to secure another ricksaw so he used his motorcycle and would return with Mickie shortly.  Traffic is Mumbai is nothing short of treacherous and it was an amazing act of courage for these ladies to ride the bike. 

It is 11pm and finally time to lay down for the night.  It was an amazing day full of new and interesting things all wrapped up in the familiar love of the father.  We hope that each of you had such a blessed day as well.

Greetings from Mumbai

Greetings from Mumbai! We have made it to India! Saturday morning, we went for another jog, this time through Kowloon Park and then across to a pier. The pier was quite long, possibly 200 yards in length, and made for a great running track. Great views of the skyline, a pretty dolphin sculpture, and the company of others out for their morning activities. Another trip to Starbucks for cool down, refreshments, and fellowship completed our early morning ritual. Check out was scheduled for 11:30 and the rest of the morning was spent packing and resting. Our group of 7 has about 25 pieces of luggage between us and we are quite the spectacle trying to get on elevators, busses, and trains. The guys have been great and are quite efficient at loading everything in a quick manner. Even though our flight was not until 8:45pm, we went straight to the airport. Hong Kong International is a huge facility and has a seemingly endless variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. This would allow each of us to rest, shop, read, prepare - whatever we felt was needed. After getting a quick bite, we toured the shopping areas. A group of young adults (maybe early 20's if that) approached Bryan, Mickie, and myself and asked if we would help them with a project for work. They were part of a scavenger hunt and had to complete several tasks within the airport. They needed just one passenger to join their group and I said I would do it. They took us to a hall around the corner and met up with several other young adults. They explained that I had to join their circle and perform a clapping routine with them. There were two other groups already in the process of "performing" their routine. It was fun to be a part of their game and engage with them.



In the afternoon, we met as a group to have some devotional time and to discuss some of the things we would be doing our first few days in India. We also each had a chance to state what we were looking forward to and what we were apprehensive about. This was an opportunity to get some of these concerns out in the open and to remind us that Jesus will provide for us and that He can help us through the difficult times. The flight was uneventful and seemed to pass rather quickly - of course, 6 hours is going to seem quick when compared to the previous flight of 14 hours.



We passed through customs, exited the terminal, and were met by Shirish, Moses, Abishe, Rajish, and Pastor Moses' son, Joshua. It was a grand reunion with lots of excited and happy hellos, handshakes, and hugs. Flowers were also given to us during this warm welcome. It may have been 1:30am on a dark morning, but India was already filled with the brightness of brotherly love.



After a few hours rest, we have eaten a simple, but delicious, buffet breakfast and are waiting to head out for church services. Bryan is speaking at Shirish's English-service church, Katherine is speaking at Salve Nagar, and Eric is speaking at the Mother Church in Andheri. The rest of the group is splitting up attendance between Salve Nagar and Andheri.

A few scattered musings...

Remember to check out the pics at either facebook or smugmug.  Go to Smugmug.com and search for soccermom to get to the gallery.

A few musings of our few days in Hong Kong ~

*I am here with an absolutely awesome group of people!  Blessed to have their company and guidance.

*We went out to dinner and got a 10% discount because we were a large group.  Much different than the U.S. where you are charged more if you are in a group.

*Chronologically advanced individuals (I hate to say elderly) are very active in HK.  They may have stooped postures and walk with a limp or uneven gait, but that didn't keep them from working to keep Kowloon Park and the surrounding areas clean and maintained.  There appeared to be 3 senior workers to every 1 "young" worker in the Park.

*Sleeping more than a few hours a night has been a bit of a challenge and it is becoming apparent.  I put my T-shirt on backwards this morning.  Thankfully, I glanced in the mirror while brushing my teeth and noticed before heading out the door to go for a jog.  I also was watching the morning activities out of the room window and referred to it as Chai Tea.   ;o)

*Speaking of Tai Chi, I joined in a group session this morning at the park as part of our cool down after jogging.  I only felt like an off-balance spaz about 10 times in the 5 minutes I participated.  A gentleman moved over a bit as I joined the group - not sure if he was being welcoming or could tell in advance that I would need a lot of space.....

*Authentic Spicy and Sour Soup (called Hot and Sour Soup back home), is about 10 times better than any I have ever had in the U.S.        Looking forward to authentic Indian food.

Ngong Ping Buddha

Friday October 21st was another early day.  Kevin, Katherine, Cathy, and Tammy went for a jog in Kowloon Park.  It was amazing to see how many people were up and active at 6am.  We passed several Tai Chi sessions, as well as a few individuals on their own.  Most were elderly but that was not stopping them.  After the jog, we cooled down with some refreshments at a nearby Starbucks and had a short time of fellowship.

Our full group again met to officially start the day at 10am.  We were headed out to Lantau Island to ride the cable car out to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha statue.  The cable car had a see-thru floor and we went very high over a pretty long distance.  The views were fantastic.  The entrance to Ngong Ping is a little village consisting of restaurants and souvenier shops to accomodate those who are visiting the Buddha, as well as other sites such as the Po Lin Monastery and the Path to Wisdom.  Up the stairs we went, the steps to enlightenment, to see the statue up close.  Pastor E had reminded us of the 4 noble truths to Buddhism and cautioned us regarding the fact that Buddhists consider this site sacred and as such, to monitor our comments and actions.  At the top, the views of the island were spectacular - mountain peaks, dense vegetation, ocean bays.  Truly a beautiful piece of God's creation.  As a group, we prayed that others would see that Jesus is the Light of the World and asked for God's presence and mercy be upon those who do not know of these blessings.  Afterwards, we split up for a short time so those who wanted to explore the grounds and those that wanted to do a bit of shop hopping could do so.  Bryan and Tammy went out to the Path of Wisdom which was supposed to be a 15 minute walk to, but we did it in just under 10.  Scattered along a small hillside are long planks that are inscribed with Chinese characters which replicate the Heart Sutra, a very old prayer.

On the cable car ride back, Pastor E gave us a short lesson in some Hindi phrases and words as the time to leave Hong Kong and go to India is quickly approaching.  We were modestly successful in repeating him at the time, but I for one could use another "lesson"  As a group, we also tried to spread a little bit of cheer and happiness by waving at the passing cable cars and trying to get them to wave back.  Such an easy friendly gesture that created so many smiles and good cheer.

After a quick dinner, we took an evening trip to Victoria Peak and got a great view of the harbor from high above.  Hong Kong is a beautiful city of lights and the sight seeing has been wonderful.  We spent the day travelling to and visiting an icon of a religion that emphasizes self-improvement.  I think we all want to be the best person we can be, but to what end? If you ask most people, they will say that a good person takes care of others, does good deeds, and aspires to have contentment and happiness in their life.  I think that the word joy is a great example of how everyone can attain happiness and contentment, and in the process, take care of others and do good deeds.  Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. J-O-Y.  When we have the light of Jesus in our lives, we know that He considers love to be the greatest of all.  If we know and love Jesus, then we know that He considers our relationships with others to be very important and we are called to care and minister to our fellow man. Our strive to be a good person is not centered on us individually at all.  It involves moving past our own self-centered version of the world. If we have the J and the O in our lives and love Jesus and care for others for the glory of God, then the Y is taken care of.  In fact, it is even easier to care for ourselves because Jesus and those we care about are taking care of us as well!  This thought gives me a warm fuzzie - kind of like feeling that I am part of a great big, warm, group hug!  I pray that each of you feel the same way.

In closing, please consider praying for us as we head to the airport and begin our ministry in India.

"See you in Mumbai"

Hong Kong means "Fragrant Harbor"

Out first full day and boy did we make complete use of it.  Many of us were awake fairly early and lounged around, updating ourselves via facebook, e-mails, and texts.  Mickie and I took a short stroll through Kowloon Park and then had breakfast at one of the nearby Starbucks.  At 10 am, the group met to officially begin our day.  After a quick prayer, Bryan led us on a tour through  Hong Kong City.  We rode the MTR to Hong Kong City which involved travelling under the harbor.  We took a Ding-Ding Tram from the financial district towards a more residential part.  Hong Kong City is more centered on money - banks and financial institutions - and also has the massive convention center.  Kowloon has the majority of the high end shopping stores.  We strolled along the harbor waterfront in HKC, and as we were leaving, passed a booth where a woman was handing out free tote bags.  Jesus Loves You is imprinted in English on one side and we presume that the same message is what the Chinese characters on the other side represent.  The lady was quite delighted that we were believers.  We also saw a few signs that were Christian based and it was comforting to see.  We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant and then went to Victoria Park for an afternoon devotional and to pray for you, our families, and Nick Magnotti.  More on that in a moment.  The Star Ferry was the mode of transportation used to return to Kowloon.  We started under the water and ended above the water. We went back to the hotel to rest before dinner, and then went to the Chinese Kitchen for dinner.  Afterwards, we went to the harbor waterfront on the Kowloon side to take an evening stroll and to watch the Symphony of Lights.  Several buildings participate in a light show set to music.  Afterwards we strolled along the "Golden Mile" (Nathan Road) where several very high end shops are located.  The crowds that I had anticipated during the day had finally come out to play.  Late evening, people are off work, and the temperature is mild - great combination to bring out the crowds. 

Hong Kong is full of sights and smells.  Most of the smells are quite pleasant - salty ocean air, flowers, wonderful scents from the myriad of perfume stores, and food (noodle broth smells deep, dusky, and salty - I love it!)  There were a few unpleasant ones such as vehicle exhaust and an occasional sewer but those were pretty few and far between.

During our devotional, Cathy read from 2 Corinthians14-16 which talks about the sweet perfume of a Christ-like fragrance.  "But thank God! He has made us His captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume."

What kind of smell are you giving off?  Fragrance brings to mind a light, caressing, pleasing smell that makes you want to lean in closer.  Stink brings to mind an over-powering, strong unpleasant scent that makes you wrinkle your nose and look to back away at the first opportunity. Do our words and actions emit the right scent?  Are we allowing God to use us to spread that sweet perfume? Do people see us and want to lean in close so they can get another whiff of the sweet, sweet scent that is Jesus?  Do we let people get close enough to us so that they have that opportunity?  Each day we armor ourselves against our bodily stench - showers, clean clothes, deodorant.  We make a concerted effort to not stink because of the unpleasant-ness it creates for us and those around us.  I ask you, and myself, what have we done today, and what can I do tomorrow, to armor myself against the stink of sin and regret and allow the perfume of Jesus to eminate freely so that we can share it with others.

Tammy's Lifepoint India 2011 Photo Album viewable on Smugmug

http://soccermom.smugmug.com/Travel/Hong-Kong/Lifepoint-India-2011/19640087_tzfX5B

Click on the link to go to the gallery.  You do not need a smugmug log in to view my galleries.  Enjoy!

Live in the moment...

When we arrived at the hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, many of us had been awake for over 27 hours (other than a couple cat naps on the long flight) and had only a few hours of sleep prior to getting up Tuesday morning.  Because of crossing the international dateline, we "lost" a day. But no fears!  We will "gain" it back on the trip home.  However, that is based on man's clock-keeping schedule.  It is insignificant when compared to God's time.  In San Francisco during the layover, Pastor E talked about surrender and the many things we would need to surrender during this trip.  He also talked about living in the moment.  Trust that God will provide for us and that He will be working our schedule with us.  Be present and ready for Him now.  Rest assured that the next moment is going to come, but do not stress, long or worry about it because God already has a plan for it.  I am praying that we will take this opportunity to live and work according to the Lord's clock, according to His time.  If we do, then we'll have "lost" nothing, but will have gained more than we can understand.

Perhaps each of you following along from home can do the same.  Only God knows how many moments each of us will get. Why not yearn to experience all of them, rather than look past some and risk missing out on what He has prepared for us.   

"For I know the plans I have for you" says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for Me whole-heartedly, you will find Me." Jeremiah 29:11  (NLT)